1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in carrying straps and handles for bags, briefcases, computer sleeves, portfolios, handbags, business cases, attaches, purses, covers for electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, GPS systems, eBook readers, and other carried articles, and more particularly to a low-profile retractable shoulder cord or handle system with improved retractor mechanism.
2. Description of the Background
Shoulder straps and hand straps are commonly attached to handbags, portfolios, briefcases and the like to make carrying easier. Such straps allow a user to transport the carried article without hands. Most shoulder straps comprise a strap with shoulder pad that helps keep the shoulder strap from slipping off the shoulder while in use. The shoulder pad also serves as padding to spread the pressure of the weight of the bag, thus avoiding creating a focal point of pressure. This greatly increases comfort for the user.
Despite their advantages shoulder straps can create problems. When the bag is not being transported the strap is left to dangle, or lie on the floor making it unsightly. This can create a danger of someone tripping and falling. For example, loose shoulder straps protruding from under airplane seats catch many unsuspecting passengers. Loosely dangling shoulder straps and handles are also cumbersome, unsightly and unsanitary. While not in use, the straps lie on the floor and will pick up dirt and dust. The dirt is likely to be transferred to the shoulder of the user.
The constant transporting of bags and cases presents many opportunities for dangling straps to present dangers, unless the straps are protected in some manner with a covering or containment.
The concept of a retractable strap or handle is well-established in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 8,123,092 by Krulik et al. shows a retractable shoulder strap for carrying cases such as luggage, suitcases, or briefcases. The strap feeds through a slider yoke, and the yoke is connected to the carry case by a plurality of extension springs.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,979,978 to Martin discloses a hand bag having a pair of carrying handles and a resilient device connecting each end of each handle to the body of the receptacle, the resilient device comprising a coiled compression spring disposed within the receptacle.
French Patent No. FR1028376 to Grard discloses a briefcase having a coil-retractor mounted externally at each top corner for retracting a shoulder strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,300 to G. K. Tuttle et al. shows a handle having a retractable strap in which a cord is attached to a pair of retractor mechanisms located within each side of a sports bag and the outlets for the cord are in a position whereas the cord will retract back so that the cord and any padding attached thereto will lie flat against the bag. The retractor mechanism is a spool on each side with a torsion-spring-biased axle or reels to which the cord is attached. U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,613 to Wood issued Sep. 28, 1976 shows a retractable pull strap on wheeled luggage in which a single cord feeds through an inlet to a casing with a spring wound spool is mounted in the luggage adjacent the inlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,015,669 to Huang et al. issued Sep. 13, 2011 shows a handle for a laptop/tablet with a hidden belt that uses torsion springs to draw the belt into the handle. Thus, a user can carry the portable device with the handle, and also shoulder or hang the portable device with the hidden belt.
The structural and operational details of the above-described retractable strap systems leave room for improvement in several respects. Extraction of the strap may be unduly difficult, requiring two hands (one to secure the article to be carried and one to pull the strap portion out). The foregoing retraction mechanisms are susceptible to friction and tangling. The need for both hands and the difficult degrade the utility of the strap. Moreover, upon retraction the straps and shoulder pads do not stow anywhere and remain exposed, obtrusive and susceptible to tangling. Such straps can create other issues that are not addressed by conventional means. When the bag is not being transported, the straps are left to bulge or dangle, possibly creating a danger of tripping.
Therefore, a need exists for a tightening system that pulls in line with the strap direction, is easy to adjust with one hand, achieves a mechanical advantage for secure tightening, and seats flush and securely in place all on its own. The present invention meets these needs as discussed below.
Specifically, it is desirable to provide a retractor mechanism having a calibrated spring bias slightly less than the weight of the article to be carried. The retractor mechanism should also be extremely smooth, tangle and friction-free so that when a user raises the shoulder pad/handle the weight of the article to be carried overcomes the spring bias and the line extends smoothly and equally from both sides of the article to be carried.